The Fire in Me
by yamiXtsuki
Summary: Naruto has been treated terribly by the village all his life. His so-called friends treat him as less than dirt. He allows this, as he has no one else. But what if Kyuubi were to be his friend? One-shot, NarutoXKyuubi, YAOI! Or shonen-ai. Whatever.


Prologue: Enter Naruto: Unappreciated and Misused

Naruto stared blankly at his now-bloody kunai. Small slits decorated his wrist and lower arm, small droplets of liquid red leaking from the lacerations. He'd never actually tried to _kill_ himself (yet), just seeing if he could hurt himself willingly. He could.

The wounds had already stopped bleeding and were now closing, so quickly that, if one were to look, they would see it. _Kyuubi,_ he thought. He closed his dull, blue eyes, thinking of his teammates.

Sasuke. The Prodigy. Kakashi's favorite. The one everyone likes. His rival. His _previous_ love interest. Sakura. A fan girl of Sasuke, hater to Naruto. She was obsessed with her looks and Sasuke's sexual preferences, she couldn't even throw a kunai right.

They were dating now, much to Naruto's distaste. They used him and treated him like a fool. Even though everything they did hurt him, he let them; at least it was some form of attention.

Naruto shook his head, ridding himself of the painful thoughts. He clicked off the alarm that he never needed and stood up. He ran water over his healed arm, splashing his face. He rolled his eyes, noticing the circles under the blue orbs.

Naruto transformed so that none of his neighbors would realize he'd left and headed away from his apartments, for favor of the training grounds. As he arrived, Naruto took out a few kunai. was three o' clock A.M.

* * *

Part One: Abused Trees and Neglected Blondes

Naruto noticed the sun rising and smirked sadly, knowing Kakashi would be a couple hours. He laid down on the grass, watching the clouds. When it came time for Kakashi to arrive, Naruto walked over to the meeting place, mussing his hair, brightening his eyes and letting his idiot façade take over.

Sakura yelled something about being late and hit him over the head. "Sakura, why'd you hit me~?" Naruto whined, mentally wincing at how stupid he sounded.

"Ugh! You never listen, do you? We were supposed to meet here an hour ago! Where were you? Sleeping, probably." She scoffed. I was training, bitch. "You're such an idiot, Naruto."

"Maybe he realized Kakashi wasn't going to be here for awhile and just did other things like a smart person. Wait, Naruto's not smart, never mind." Sasuke chuckled darkly. Hn, you go ahead and think that, emo boy.

"Aw, why are you guys so mean? It's not like it matters, anyway." In his mind, Naruto grimaced. He had almost dropped his carefree front. Both Sakura and Sasuke looked a little shocked at his tone, the thoughts of _what just happened?_ echoing in their heads. "Oh, hey, Kakashi-sensei."

"Hello. What are you guys doing?" their teacher's friendly voice questioned. Heh. _Saved by the teacher._ Naruto thought bitterly.

"Just talking." Sakura smiled wide. Fake.

"Hmm… Shall we get to training?" Sakura had long since stopped chiding their teacher for being late, knowing it didn't get anyone anywhere.

They all headed to the training grounds, immediately gaping at the scattered pieces of wood that was once a tree. Naruto smirked behind the others' backs at his handiwork. Let them make what they will of that.

Naruto had never gotten complimented directly. However, he left small mementos lying around everywhere. Places where people would stop, gawk and present their amazement in words for whatever ninja had done it.

"Whoa. I wonder who was training here?" Sakura commented in a awed, quiet tone.

"Well, not many know about this place. Only our team, Jiraiya, the Hokages and some ANBU… That's really strange. None of them would train here, or leave a mark that blatantly obvious besides one of us. Was it you, Sasuke?"

"No. I train in the Uchiha compound unless I'm with you. Sakura's out, she isn't so obvious… So that leaves… Naruto?" Sasuke was completely dumbfounded.

In his mind, the Kyuubi cackled; _what would he do now?_ He stood there for a moment, trying to come up with something to say. "N-no… I haven't trained here at all… Besides team training…" He forced a cocky grin to make itself show on his face. "But I could do it!"

"Oh, shut it!" Sakura smacked the back of his head with her fist. He let himself fall to the ground, grabbing at the back of his unhurt head.

"Ow! Sakura-chan, you're so mean!" They all relaxed. After all, how could a dunce like him tear up a tree like that?

* * *

Part Two: Mentality Snapped, Coming Back to Reality

"Naruto? Could you grab my things and leave them at my house for me?" Sakura gave him a fake smile. "Sasuke-kun and I have a date tonight."

The blonde nodded, cutting off his hard panting as she left. _**Why do you bother?**_ Kyuubi's deep, rough voice rang throughout Naruto's mind.

_What's it matter to you?_

_**It matters to me plenty, kit. I will not have my vessel being tortured day after day. It's degrading.**_

Naruto appeared in his mind, in front of the Kyuubi's cage. "Well… What am I supposed to do? I'd rather have cruel attention than none at all."

"Let me out. Not fully, like you becoming me, but enough so that I appear in reality."

"How the hell's that solve anything? And how would I go about it anyway?" Well, at _least_ he was considering it.

"Well, kit, it would solve your strive for attention. And the cruel attention, as well. If I give you someone to hang around, you won't have to rely on them. Furthermore, you could show how much more power you, Uzumaki, have than that prat, Uchiha." Naruto smirked despite himself. Kyuubi, having been ordered to do Madara's bidding (and not being able to refuse), hated Uchihas. All of them. And foxes can _really_ hold a grudge.

"Alright, makes sense. But then, how am I going to be assured your not going to attack Konoha? I do like the place, despite the people."

"I was forced to before, you dolt. However, you can't let me run free. It's not possible for you. It would kill you." Naruto smiled at that. The fox demon growled. "That's not a good thing, kit. I would die too, and I don't feel like dying. Despite you." Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"Well, anyway, it's a complicated technique. Usually it's used on insane people, to extract multiple personalities and destroy the dangerous ones. But it should work on us, too."

Naruto frowned. "I don't understand… How do you know about such a jutsu?"

"Originally, it was demons that humans learned to control chakra from. All jutsu originated from demons. Bloodline limits were gifts to human clans from demons."

"That, also, makes sense."

"Of course it does. I won't be at my full power. I'll just have as much power as say… you do. Which is a lot for a human, but no where near the power I usually have." Naruto smirked at the great fox's words. Kyuubi sighed, deciding that now was a good time to show Naruto his 'human' form. "Watch, kit." And the great, nine-tailed fox's chakra began condensing, pulling into itself like a school of fish around angry predators. And out of the red mist appeared a tall man, a good two feet taller than Naruto, himself.

Naruto's mouth hung open, staring at the male in awe. Said man flipped back his long, red hair, staring at the blonde with a pair of bored eyes that retained the same fiery color as his hair. His shoulders adorned a red haori with a white undershirt. White hakama pants and black gloves completed his strange outfit. He wore no shoes.

"Confused, kit? This is the form I will be in if you can figure out how to do the jutsu properly. It's not dangerous and it's easy to undo if you make a mistake, so you can practice so long as you have enough remaining chakra and physical energy." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind a tanned, pointed ear.

"Uhh… yeah… right…" The young Uzumaki could not, for the love of god, look away from the fox demon. In Naruto's eyes, the great being had been kind in a sort of cold way. But he had always been a fox. The younger never had the notion that the terrifying being known as Kyuubi could be such a _beautiful_ man.

"Hn. Whatever. Anyway, shall we begin your training? You can come in here if you want," the red fox spoke softly, motioning to the bars in front of him. Naruto nodded, stepping past the prison's barricade.

The young blonde boy was led through a hall into a large, empty room that spread out farther than the training grounds in reality. "This will be vigorous work, kit, you up to it?" Said blonde nodded. If he was able to get those bastards off his back, why not?

And so, the training began.

* * *

Part Three: Success and Payback, Oh So Sweet

It had taken weeks. Months, even. But he had done it. The red-haired man in front of Naruto Uzumaki proved it. Naruto smiled through his panting, admiring his handiwork and relieved at the thought of not having to pretend the next day. He'd challenge Sasuke, prove his worth. And laugh at those who were surprised.

And if they bothered to ask him to do something… Say, becoming Hokage? The answer would be no. Definitely not.

"Good job, kit." Kyuubi looked at the ground, at all the failed tries. Marks littered the ground, spelling something out in some ancient language. A tree off to the side showed counting niches in it, measuring up to 133. "You did well. The last human I taught that technique to took 3 years to learn the damn thing."

Naruto grinned at the demonic entity. "So… What now?"

"Now… You call me Kyo. Because we wouldn't want the dumb-asses thinking that the Kyuubi's running around ready to kill them. Although… that might be amusing." Naruto laughed aloud, finally able to do so with realism. "Hmm… It's been awhile since you've done that, kit. You deserve it."

"Thanks. Anyway… Uhh…" Naruto paused, realizing that, despite being very happy with his accomplishment, he had no idea what to do with himself now. Well, he'd wait until tomorrow to wonder about that. "You hungry?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Ramen, then? I haven't had that in ages…"

"Wow… Really?" 'Kyo' nodded. "Let's go!" As they approached Ichiraku Ramen, the pair noticed Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi sitting at the shop. Naruto thought of throwing up his façade again but then decided against it. He stood up straight, eyes going ice cold.

He ignored the happy trio as he approached, immediately asking for a double order of beef ramen. Kyuubi followed behind him, curious to see what the blonde was up to.

"Ah, a new customer? Brought here by our best, eh?" Naruto smirked. "Hey… Naruto? You okay? You seem a little down."

"Yeah, of course." The rest of the blonde's team finally decided to acknowledge him.

"Hey, Naruto, having more ramen? Do you eat anything else?" Sasuke asked snidely.

"Yeah, it kinda seems you don't… No wonder you're so stupid. You don't get enough vitamins for your brain to work properly." Sakura laughed at her cruel comment.

"If you must know, I do eat other things. I just prefer ramen because it's calming." His tone was low, dangerous. Though inside, he laughed at the pitiful female creature. She'd regret the things said to him. But that would take some time. For now, he'd play with his prey.

Sakura gasped. "Oh… The idiot's angry. What happened, Naruto, didja figure out how weak you are?" Kyuubi growled beside Naruto, quiet enough so that none would hear but the look on his face would have scared them anyway. That is, if he wasn't looking at his ramen and hiding behind his blonde container.

"Hn. Sure. Let's go with that," Naruto reported coldly. Mentally, Naruto laughed. _I just pulled a Sasuke!_

Sakura winced at the tone, surprised that Naruto would be rude to _her_ of all people. "Jeez, Naruto, what's your problem?"

"Problem? I don't have a problem," he started, tone _completely_ sarcastic. "No… I don't mind being treated like less than dirt. In fact, I quite enjoy rubbing myself in the _ground_ just so _you_ can walk all over me. It's just _wonderful_."

All three of his teammates (and the shop owner) gasped at his small speech. He drained his bowl (Kyuubi had stolen the noodles) and stood up. "If you need me, I'll be at my apartment, studying psychology and how not to kill myself. Bye!" Now, his tone was bright, happy. He was practically chirping like a bird. It was the only way not to laugh his ass off at their expressions.

As he entered the house (Kyuubi decided the bed should be his, since he was a king), Naruto smirked to himself. He laid out on the couch, depositing his kunai pouch and other things among his person onto the table. A knock sounded on his door.

He sighed, getting up. As he walked to the door he realized that the person was Sasuke. He growled to himself, eye twitching when the knocking persisted. He opened the door, dodging the punch that was aimed at his face.

"What do you want, emo?" he asked, his voice decorated in the coldest ice he could find in his heart, relaying to the other teen the hatred Naruto felt for Sasuke.

"You made Sakura cry, you dumb ass. You like her, don't you? Go to her, get on your knees and apologize, you pathetic mongrel."

"How about _you_ get on _your_ knees and I kick you out. Literally. I don't like _you_. I don't like _Kakashi_. And I really don't like _Sakura_. So, with that, I bid you farewell, fucking Uchiha."

"You bastard!" Sasuke threw another punch. Naruto caught it, yawning.

"How about we fight tomorrow when we train, hmm? I'm tired."

"Hn. So you can run?" Sasuke put up his usual calm attitude.

"No. So you can get a chance to prepare. I've been holding out on you, Sasuke. I'll kill you if I get too serious, but I won't hesitate to hurt you. No, I'd quite enjoy that."

Sasuke growled._ Pathetically,_ Naruto added in his head. "Fine. I'll see you later, dope. Hope you say your prayers tonight, cause I'm going to kill you."

And with that, the Uchiha prat left. Naruto, again, laid on his couch, pulling out a book. _Payback's a bitch, Sasuke. And I'm going to enjoy every second of it._

* * *

Part Four: Training and Hugs Are Fun!

The next day, he informed Kyuubi of the Uchiha's late-night visit. Said demon laughed at his container's confidence and honesty. They both knew that Naruto could and would kill Sasuke.

"So… Are you going to kill him?" Naruto shook his head, a smirk threatening to show on his face. His eyes were alight, a violet hue taking over instead of the normal cerulean blue his father had given him. "Oh, why not?"

"I want his fear, Kyuu. I want to know that I can frighten the bastard. It will be a reward for all this idiot shit I put up with." The blonde boy's mouth twisted up in a cruel smile. "I'm so tired of being treated like crap."

"Good. I'm glad you got fed up with it, kit. Remember to call me Kyo, though."

"Yeah… Hey, I was wondering… Could you train me,_ 'Kyo'_?" Naruto asked. Despite the sarcasm, he was being completely serious. Knowing this, the nine-tailed beast smirked.

"Yes, I suppose I should. When you hit adulthood, you'll grow very quickly, into the height you would be in till the end of your days. And then you'll stop aging. We have plenty of time, kit. So… I'll teach you all I can."

"Thank you!" Naruto smiled boyishly, letting the happiness that he rarely acquired show through to the surface of his emotionally-condensed face. He jumped up from his place on his battered couch, making his blue quilt fall to the floor.

Unable to think of consequences for a split second, Naruto hugged the red-headed man. He didn't think that this was Kyuubi, his thoughts were that this was a _friend_, and not someone who would kill him… without reason.

The man, to say the least, was surprised. He had never gotten hugged before, and the feelings it stirred were very foreign to him. Instead of returning the friendly gesture, he wondered why people did it. He'd had sex before; he understood that. He'd made out with someone before; he understood that. But he just couldn't understand the meaning of the hug. It gave no pleasure, did it?

The great nine-tailed fox, Kyuubi, concentrated on this action and the strange feelings that arose in his heart and mind. They weren't _bad_ but he couldn't quite classify them as good, either. Then again, he was comforted in some small way. As if this hug could one day make _him_, the great lord of demon foxes, happy.

It amused him. As Naruto pulled away, Kyuubi let go of him. "Uh… Sorry. I didn't really think about that one…" A smiled decorated his tanned face, making it glow with a light that only Naruto could pull off.

"No, it's alright. I'm not terribly against the idea of a 'hug'." Amidst these words, Kyuubi wondered where his thoughts had come from, and where they would lead if they continued. His newly arisen thoughts were discontinued, however, when Naruto started picking up random weapons off the living room floor.

"Naruto, what are you doing? You shouldn't use weapons. Just kick his ass without them. It's more amusing that way." Naruto shrugged, muttered 'true…' and left the apartment. The red-head followed, thinking to himself. _Hugs… Make people happy… I think I like hugs._

* * *

Part Five: Kicking Sasuke's Ass is Easy, but Dealing with Horny Foxes is Another Story

Naruto stared at the brunette, boredom surrounding his entire being. Kick, dodge, punch. Roll, trip, punch. Dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge, jump, kick, kick, kick. Though monotony wasn't of their fight, it was too easy for Naruto. He hadn't gotten hit once by the Uchiha and he was getting down right fed up. If this continued much longer, he'd kill the emo just to get rid of some ennui.

Kakashi and Sakura stood off to the side, marveling at how Sasuke was _failing_ at even _touching_ the blonde. Kyuubi was farther off, staring at Naruto hungrily. He seemed poised in an attack position, but was holding himself back till the fight ended.

Naruto paused, grabbing both the fists that dared swing at him, and made a double take. He blinked, kicked Sasuke in the stomach (causing the dark-haired boy to groan and pass out), and pushed him onto the ground. Quickly, he headed over to his red-headed inner voice and asked what he was doing.

Sakura and Kakashi, too busy worrying over the prodigy of the Uchiha clan, did not notice when Naruto was attacked by the fox demon and, not quite so unwilllingly (he was very curious as to what was going on in the mind of the demon lord), dragged off.

After finding a cave, Kyuubi dumped Naruto onto the ground and immediately sat atop him. Naruto, sensing what the demon lord was doing, started struggling. "Kyuu… Get off…" he whispered. He received a growl in answer.

"No, kit… I can't… I can't hold back. The need's been growing all day and I can't… I _**won't**_ stop now." The hot breath of the fox demon brushed against the boy's slender neck, sending shivers down his spine. The blonde shook his head, trying to clear the fog that the red-head had created.

"No, Kyuu, I can't do this now… I'm not… prepared enough for it…" Naruto's voice shook with his fear, his anticipation. The demon growled again. "I'm… I'm scared…"

"You? Scared? What have I taught you about fear?" Naruto winced under the harsh, crimson gaze, looking at the dirt floor beside him. Not waiting for a reply (he knew he'd never get one), Kyuubi leaned close to Naruto, gauging his reaction. Slowly, but confidently, the Kyuubi touched his lips to the teen's, pulling back in the same fashion. "Don't fear me… I won't hurt you. I just… I can't wait anymore, kit." The fox demon paused, taking in Naruto's frightened blue eyes and shivering body. "You know what I mean, don't you? My mating season… has come around."

He kissed Naruto again, refusing to let him speak. This time, Naruto kissed back, though his natural shyness allowed him little else. The kiss turned fervent as Kyuubi ran his tongue along the boy's lips, eliciting a quiet gasp from the blonde. "Kyuubi..." the boy whispered, bringing his soft, unmarred hand up to grasp the orange hair the fox retained.

From that point on, the cave was very, very loud. Until the boy got tired, of course.

* * *

Part Six: Mates?

The next morning, Naruto awoke with a start that shot pain up his spine. He groaned, clutching his bottom. "What the-..." Naruto cut himself off as he saw the fox lying beside him, tails (which had suddenly appeared without reason [Naruto was wondering _what the hell? _all the while]), swishing as he watched the boy with a mischievous patience.

"What, Naruto? Confused?"

"Er... Yes... I am..." the blonde tried to regain his equanimity. To control himself. But the fox looked quite delectable as he was and... Naruto could barely hide the blush that threatened his cheeks.

"Allow me to explain." The great fox stood, sauntering over to the boy. He reached a tan hand out to cup the young ninja's face and leaned down to kiss him. Though it didn't last long, the kiss sent Naruto's mind reeling and it took a moment for him to organize his thoughts. Kyuubi waited, using the patience he had retained with his long years.

As soon as Naruto came back to the real world (he was quite good at staying away, actually), Kyuubi said, "Simply put, we're mates. Bound at the soul to one another. Though I hadn't planned on it, I can't say I really mind. It was an option I had yet to consider, but a good one. You won't age after adulthood until I am released from you. Which would end in your death. So… eternally, we are mates."

The Kyuubi paused, contemplating his next words. "Do you mind, Naruto?"

"No, no! Of course not!" Naruto laughed, hugging onto the great demon. "I think… it's a good idea. Thank you, Kyuubi."

"Shall we go and torture the Uchiha again? That was, actually, quite entertaining."

"Yes, let's. But I think we should put on some clothes first." Kyuubi frowned at the thought. He hated clothing. It was so… restraining. Besides that, he liked seeing Naruto's naked body. It was… entertaining.

"I… don't think I want to, at this particular moment. Let's partake in activities done before, perhaps?" The fox's grin was back as he pulled Naruto closer.

Fortunately for the blonde, he'd learned quite a bit the night before and thus, replied in a rather sultry voice, "Yes, let's.

* * *

Well... The first story I've completed on . And it's only four thousand words! T.T

At least I completed it, though. I never complete _any_ stories. Ever. I have twenty-six in a binder somewhere and there's one in it that I wrote in the sixth grade (Inu Yasha, by the way, and it's really funny... 'cause it's so dreadfully written) and that's the only one I've completed thus far.

Sad, I know.

But, alas, how was it? Reviews, pwease? I lurv them. :3

(Don't tell my boyfriend I write BL fanfictions, he'll be perturbed [and think I want him to make out with a few guys] XD)


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